Conventional dental implant procedures for the upper jaw or maxilla sometimes requires a sinus augmentation procedure to be first implemented, so as to provide sufficient bone to anchor the implant. A commonly used sinus augmentation procedure is performed from inside the intraoral cavity. In what is known as the lateral approach, a lateral incision is made into the gum and gum tissue is pulled back, and an opening is cut in the exposed lateral boney wall of the sinus. The sinus is covered by a thin membrane, which is lifted away to create a space into which allogenic, autogenous, or synthetic bone graft material is inserted via the opening. However, cutting through the boney wall and lifting the membrane can lead to tearing or puncturing of the membrane if not done carefully, and this requires the membrane to be immediately repaired, postponing the sinus augmentation procedure until healing of the membrane is complete. Once the bone graft material has been is integrated in the maxilla, which can normally take between 6 and 12 months, the dental implant can be installed, followed by the dental prosthesis.
Another method sometimes used when there is a minimum of 5 mm involves inserting the bone graft material from the crest of the bone during implant placement, and is known as the crestal approach. The normal implant hole is drilled until about 1 mm before the sinus, and then another tool is used for taping the remaining shell of bone towards the sinus. The tapped shell displaces the membrane into the sinus, making room for the graft material which is then inserted via the implant hole. The implant is then installed into the prepared bone, allowing the graft material to become integrated while anchoring the implant.
By way of general background, US 2009/208907 is directed to a group of dental implants used for two-stage implantation into the alveolar bone.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,840,770 (US 2003/124486) discloses systems and methods for a dental implant system suitable for an endosteal implant into a jawbone. The systems and methods make use of a tapered, expandable polymer sheath insertable into a jawbone, a tapered implant insertable into the sheath and causing expansion of the sheath upon insertion, and an abutment adapted to be coupled to the implant and permitting the attachment of a dental prosthesis.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,510,397 discloses a method and apparatus for providing implants in the upper jaws of a person. A sleeve is inserted through the alveolar ridge to the maxillary sinus. The sleeve is used to initiate separation of the subantral membrane and this is followed by hydrodissection using fluid pressure to form a cavity, with the sleeve remaining in place. A filler, such as a bone growth stimulant is injected through the sleeve into the cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,799,970 (US 2002/177102) discloses a dental implant for anchoring in a bone structure comprising a head intended to support a dental prosthesis and a threaded root of cylindrical substance, in which the threaded root has an internal cavity and a lateral orifice through which this internal cavity opens out on the external lateral face of the root. The axial position of this orifice is such that when the implant is in position, this orifice opens out on a medullary zone of the bone structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,380 discloses an expandable dental implant which can immediately receive functional loading to support a dental prosthesis upon insertion into the patient's mouth. The expandable implant is constructed as an inflatable balloon.
DE 4321785 discloses a dental implant having a balloon which can be inserted, in particular, in tooth sockets, jaw cavities or artificially created bone cavities, can be filled via a closable filling opening with gas, liquid and/or solid filler materials, can be attached to the jaw or tooth in the region of its filling opening and is provided with an outer layer which can grow on in the bone cavity to be filled.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,768 discloses an implant comprising an anchoring part having one or more fixing means as well as a prosthesis part adapted to fix a dental prosthesis, which implant is provided with a cavity extending from the prosthesis part into the anchoring part, the wall of the anchoring part is perforated at one or more spots and the prosthesis part is provided with a removable closing means for the cavity; when the implant is implanted the cavity of the implant may contain a medicine for protecting the implant against pathogenic bacteria etc.
Further by way of general background, WO 2009/024107 discloses a modular endoscope system in which a plurality of connecting pieces, tools and cannulas are assigned to a single lens and are each selected according to the use thereof. The connecting pieces and the cannulas are said to be designed preferably for single use so that only the lens must be decontaminated.